Although Lemmy died in 2015 - we picked up a rescue dog in February 16 and named him Lemmy - he had had a pretty miserable existence when we adopted him he was about 20 kilos so about 2/3rds of what he should have weighed - for months we walked him wearing a dog coat as the rescue folks told us that open display of an emaciated dog was asking for trouble - at this time we had him visit a hydro therapy centre to build up his muscles - for a similar period he wouldn't look me in the eye, his head was always bowed to the ground - Samantha was 'looked at' after a few days, so I presume his history with blokes was not good - he was always a quiet loving dog and with the passage of time he became more confident with both other dogs and folks.

Last weekend he was not himself - and we figured he may need some dental work [half of his teeth were taken out when we picked him up as they were so rotten] - so the Vet put him on pain killers pending an appointment yesterday - sadly other tests revealed failing kidneys and tumors / clouding around his lungs so he was put to sleep - after the event the Vet said he probably had less than a month to live and he was amazed he had walked into the surgery unaided.

So a brief but happy period of almost a year with us - God bless the little bugger.

You can take it away, as far as I'm concerned—I'd rather spend the afternoon with a nice dog. I'm not kidding. Dogs have what a lot of poems lack: excitements and responses, a sense of play, the ability to impart warmth, elation ... —Harold Ross

Dogs will also lick your face if you let them.Their bodies will shiver with happiness.A simple walk in the park is just aboutthe height of contentment for them, followedby a bowl of food, a bowl of water,a place to curl up and sleep. Someoneto scratch them where they can't reachand smooth their foreheads and talk to them.Dogs also have a natural dislike of mailmenand other bringers of bad news and willbite them on your behalf. Dogs can smellfear and also love with perfect accuracy.There is no use pretending with them.Nor do they pretend. If a dog is happyor sad or nervous or bored or ashamedor sunk in contemplation, everybody knows it.They make no secret of themselves.You can even tell what they're dreaming aboutby the way their legs jerk and try to runon the slippery ground of sleep.Nor are they given to pretentious self-importance.They don't try to impress you with how seriousor sensitive they are. They just feel everythingfull blast. Everything is off the chartswith them. More than once I've seen a dogwaiting for its owner outside a cafépractically implode with worry. “Oh, God,what if she doesn't come back this time?What will I do? Who will take care of me?I loved her so much and now she's goneand I'm tied to a post surrounded by peoplewho don't look or smell or sound like her at all.”And when she does come, what a flurryof commotion, what a chorus of yelpingand cooing and leaps straight up into the air!It's almost unbearable, this suddenfullness after such total loss, to seethe world made whole again by a handon the shoulder and a voice like no other.

Hope you two can move forward, grief is a fucker I'm terrible with it it crippled me but I do believe in people and things of worth despite all the bollocks, we are all here,I am here,you are here....so there's a really good chance it's going to be ok I reckon...love our beastlings....life is better living with other species you have to care for that aren't fish.....I will leave it there as I'm a bit pissed

Pops and Sam. You are such good people. Didn't mean this thread to be about dying, thought we might escape it this year and talk bollocks! It's the order of things but then some people can take the inevitable and cover it in optimism and kindness. Hugs to you both and know that the world's a better place with yous in it. Xxx